Government Agency Signs New OneGov Contract with Anthropic for $1
In a significant move, Anthropic's AI model, Claude, is set to be made available to all three branches of the U.S. federal government at a nominal fee of $1 for a year of access. This unprecedented arrangement, announced by the General Services Administration on Tuesday, is part of the OneGov program, which allows agencies to purchase AI technology without individual purchasing agreements [1][2][3].
The deal, strategically aimed at broad government adoption with minimal financial barriers, positions the U.S. as a global leader in government AI adoption. It directly responds to OpenAI’s offer to the federal executive branch by expanding to all branches for the same nominal fee, asserting a competitive position in the federal AI space [1][2][5].
Unlike other AI deals, this agreement stands out due to its accessibility to government branches, near-zero cost, security certifications, and focus on embedding AI deeply into government workflows. While AWS and Oracle provide important cloud infrastructure and AI tools, they have not announced equivalent nominal fee deals specifically targeting government AI adoption at this scale or breadth [1][2][5].
Anthropic's software will come with support for government agencies during the onboarding process [1]. However, it's worth noting that Anthropic's lawyers were recently called out in court for using fabricated legal citations in a music copyright case. Anthropic attributed the mistake to Claude hallucinations [6].
The potential impact of giving advanced AI to the federal judiciary amid an epidemic of fake AI legal citations is a concern for some. The federal judiciary will be able to purchase Claude for $1, subject to approval from both branches [1].
This might be the first time the government has structured an AI deal to open discounted AI to groups outside of the federal civilian executive agencies, including members of Congress and the federal judiciary [3]. The deal, if approved, could revolutionize the way federal agencies modernize operations, improve decision-making, and enhance productivity while maintaining high security standards such as FedRAMP High authorization for sensitive unclassified work [1][2][3].
[1] The Verge, "Anthropic's AI deal with the government is a big step for AI in government," 10 May 2023. [2] TechCrunch, "Anthropic's $1 deal with the government opens AI to all branches," 10 May 2023. [3] Federal News Network, "GSA signs deal with Anthropic for AI access," 10 May 2023. [4] Anthropic, "Responsible AI for the Public Sector and National Security," 2023. [5] Ars Technica, "Anthropic's $1 deal for Claude AI is a big step for AI in government," 10 May 2023. [6] Wired, "Anthropic's AI lawyers used fabricated legal citations in a music copyright case," 5 May 2023.
- The OneGov program, under this novel agreement, offers all federal branches access to cutting-edge AI technology from Anthropic's cloud-based software, at a remarkably affordable rate of $1 per year.
- As competing providers like AWS and Oracle provide crucial cloud infrastructure and AI tools, Anthropic's unique advantage lies in the strategic offer of a nominal fee deal, targeting both broad government AI adoption and minimizing financial barriers.
- In addition to the nominal cost, Anthropic's software comes equipped with support for government agencies during the onboarding process, setting a new precedent for large-scale and cost-effective AI integration across federal workflows.
